End coil reducing machine



Jan. 24, 1939.

GQGAN 2,145,081

END COIL REDUCING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.JQSEPH G064 Jan. 24, 1939. J. GOGAN END COIL REDUCING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1937 ATTORNEYfi J. GOGAN END COIL REDUCINGMACHINE Jan. 24, 1939.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JoJEP/I .Gacmw Filed Nov. 15, 1937 PatentedJan. 24, 1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of springs and moreparticularly to a machine for reducing the end convolution of helicalwire springs.

In the manufacture of helical springs it has heretpfore been customaryto grind the end convolutions to provide the spring ends with flatbearing surfaces lying in planes substantially perpendicular to thespring axis. For various reasons, such squaring of the spring ends bygrinding operations is a costly step in the manufacture of coiledsprings. It has been found that this grinding operation can beeliminated and a satisfactory seating surface provided in the springends by reshaping, preferably reducing in size,

the extreme end convolutions of the spring. The present invention has todo with a machine for carrying out such an end-coil reducing operationrIt is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a novel machinefor reshaping or reducing the end convolutions of a helical springwhereby squared ends can be rapidly and economically formed on suchsprings, without need of grinding operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine, of the typereferred to, having cooperating relatively movable die rolls adapted toengage the end coil of a helical spring and to reshape or reduce suchend coil by a rolling operation.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a machine, of thetype referred to, having a pair of anvil rolls adapted to be engaged bythe end coil of a helical spring and a die roll which is movable toengage such end coilat a point between the anvil rolls and to deflectthe end coil into the bight between such anvil rolls.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine, of the typementioned, in which means is provided for driving the anvil rolls, andcam means driven proportionately with the anvil rolls controls theextent of movement of the die roll into the bight, to thereby determinethe shape to be imparted to the end coil.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved machine,of the type mentioned,

having control means whereby the movement of the die roll into the bightand the rotation of the anvil rolls can be made to take place insuccession.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a machine havingcooperating rolls adapted to operate on the end coil of a helical springand novel work supporting-means adjacent such rolls.

My invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andparticularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with portions broken 5 away, showing anend-coil reducing machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front or end View of the machine, with parts broken away,the view being taken looking toward the cooperating rolls;

Fig. 4 is a partial end View, on a larger scale, looking toward therolls as indicated by line 4& of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar partial end View, but showing a spring being actedupon by the rolls;

Fig. 6 is a partial vertical sectional view taken as indicated by line6-6 of Fig. 1 and looking toward the cooperating rolls;

, Fig. 7 is a partial plan view showing the work holder with a springthereon and also showing the rolls acting on the end coil of suchspring;

Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view showing the die roll and thecarrier therefor;

Fig. 9 is a detached perspective view illustrating the construction andoperation of the clutch actuating lever;

Fig. 10 is a side view of a helical spring showing the same after theend coils have been reduced by my machine and prior to a flattening orsquaring operation to be subsequently performed;

Fig. 11 is an end View thereof; and g Fig. 12 is an end View of asimilar spring, but showing the same before the end coils have beenreduced.

More detailed reference will now be made to the drawings for the purposeof explaining the construction and operation of my end-coil reducingmachine, but before proceeding with such detailed description it shouldbe understood that the drawings are to be regarded as being mainlyillustrative and. that the invention may be embodied in various othermachines and devices of this character.

' As shown in the drawings, my end-coil reducing machine, is providedwith a suitable frame H] which supports the various parts of themachine, including a device ll comprising die and anvil rolls l2 and I3which cooperate in reshaping or 50 reducing the end coil of a helicalspring S by a rolling operation. The frame l0 maybe constructed with anelongated substantially horizontal upper bench or table part M, which issupported by suitable legs l5 and which carries 5 longitudinally spacedblocks or mounts I6, I71, and I8. The block I8 forms a mount for the diedevice II and for a work holder l8 adjacent thereto, which will bedescribed more in detail hereinafter. The blocks I! and I8 form mountsrespectively for bearing units or brackets 28 and 2 I. The block I 6 mayalso carry an arch 22 which forms a support for the cylinder of a fluidpressure responsive device to be described hereinafter. A brace orbracket 22 carried by the frame and connected with the arch, as bywelding, stiffens and reinforces the latter.

The anvil rolls |3 may comprise a pair of disklike rolls which arecarried respectively by laterally spaced substantially parallel rotaryshafts 23 and 24 and are disposed to lie in a transverse plane extendingat substantially right angles to the axes of such shafts. The anvilrolls are provided with peripheral grooves of arcuate cross section inwhich the end convolution of the spring S engages when the spring issupported in the Work holder IS. The shafts 23 and 24 extendlongitudinally of the frame of the machine and have their forward endsjournaled in a bearing bracket 25, which is mounted on the block I 6,and their rear ends journaled in the bearing bracket 28. The rear endsof these shafts project beyond the bearing bracket 20 and carry gears 25and 21 which mesh with a driving pinion 28.

The die roll I?! is preferably of smaller diameter than the anvil rollsl3 and is arranged above and between the latter rolls, that is tosay, insubstantially the same transverse plane as the anvil rolls and above thebight or triangular space 29 formed between the latter. This die roll iscarried by a shaft 30 which is mounted on a carrier 3|, the latter beingshiftable in a vertical plane for moving the die roll toward and awayfrom the anvil rolls. The die roll l2 also has a peripheral groove inwhich the end coil of the spring engages when this roll is moved towardthe anvil rolls. The shaft 38 may be mounted on the carrier 3| byproviding the latter with longitudinally spaced bearings 33 and 34 inwhich such shaft is journaled. The bearing 33 may be formed as a part ofa head 35 which is vertically slidable in a guideway 38 formed betweenthe upwardly projecting laterally spaced arms 37 of the bearing bracket25. The rear end of the carrier 3| may be pivoted on the bearing bracket2| by means of a transverse pivot 38, which permits vertical swingingmovement of the carrier whereby the die roll l2 may be moved to engagethe end convolution of the spring, at a point between the anvil rolls 3,and todeflect such end convolution into the bight 29. After the die rollhas closed on the spring, the anvil rolls are driven, as will bepresently explained, and the end coil of the spring is rolled andthereby reshaped to a convolution R, of smaller diameter than the mainportion of the spring.

For actuating the carrier 3|, to move the die roll- |2 toward the anvilrolls, I provide power means, preferably in the form of a. fluidpressure responsive device 39, and for lifting or retracting the carrierand die roll I provide the compression spring 48. The fluid pressureresponsive device 39 may comprise a cylinder 4| supported on the arch 22and a piston 42 operable in such cylinder with a piston rod 43 extendingdownward therefrom and engaging the carrier 3|. The lower end of thepiston rod 43 may be connected with the carrier or, as shown in thisinstance, may have a rounded end which engages in a correspondinglyshaped depression 44 in the top of the carrier. Fluid pressure deliveredfrom a. source to be described hereinafter may be supplied to the top ofthe cylinder 4| through a pipe connection or conduit 45.

The pinion 28, which, as mentioned above, meshes with the gears 21 fordriving the shafts 23 and 24 and the anvil ro-lls carried thereby, ismounted on a longitudinally extending clutch shaft 41 which is adaptedto be driven whenever the clutch 48 is actuated or engaged. The shaft 41extends through the clutch 48 and has its forward and rear endsjournaled respectively in the brackets 28 and 2|. The clutch 48 maycomprise a clutch gear 49 and a clutch drum 58, both of which aremounted on the shaft 41 between the driving pinion 28 and the bearingbracket 2|. on this shaft and meshes with a main pinion 5| which iscarried by a countershaft 5| mounted in bearings 5| and 5|. Thiscountershaft is adapted to be driven from an electric motor 52 through areductiongearing 53. The clutch drum 50 is keyed to the shaft 41 and isadapted to be intermittently connected with the gear 49 when the anvilrolls |3 are to be driven thereby.

Although any suitale clutch may be employed for connecting the drivingpinion 28 with the source of power, the clutch 48 illustrated in thisinstance is of the type which disengages itself automatically after thepinion 28 has rotated through the desired angular distance, such as onecomplete revolution. A clutch operating lever 54, pivoted at anintermediate point on a fulcrum shaft 54 cooperates with mechanism inthe clutch drum 58 to cause engagement of the clutch whenever the outerend of this lever is swung downwardly about the fulcrum shaft.

For causing engagement of the clutch 48 in timed relation to theshifting of the die roll |2, I may provide a fluid pressure responsivedevice 55, which cooperates with the outer end of the clutch actuatinglever '54. This fluid pressure responsive device may comprise a doubleacting cylinder 58 and a piston 51 reciprocablyoperable therein. Fluidpressure connections 58 and 59 lead, respectively, into the upper andlower ends of the cylinder 58. A piston rod '68 extends upwardly fromthe piston 51 and is connected with a vertically movable latch 6|, whichis slidable in. a guide bracket 62. The clutch actuating lever 54 has anextension link 63 hinged to its outer end, which carries a roll 64adapted to be engaged by the finger 65 of the latch during downwardmovement of the latter. A projection 86 of the lever 54 forms astopagainst which the link, 63 bears when the latter is pulleddownwardly by the latch 8| to thereby cause the lever tofbe swung on itspivot 54 and cause engagement of the clutch whenever the piston 5'! ismoved downwardly in its cylinder 56. The link 63 is; adapted to be swungaway from the projection 66 by the latch 5|, during upward movement ofthe latter, and this swinging of the link permits the finger 85 of thelatch to pass above the roller 84 preparatory to the next swinging ofthe lever 54 to cause engagement of the clutch.

For controlling the shifting of the die roll |2 relative to the anvilrolls 13, to thereby determine the shape to be imparted to the end"convolution of the spring S and to center the reduced end convolution Rwith respect to the spring axis, I provide a pair of cams 68 and 69 onthe shafts 23 and 24 of the anvil rolls and a cam follower 70 on theshaft 38"of the die roll 12. These cams are connected with the shafts 23and The clutch gear 49 rotates freely 24 to be rotated thereby and havea contour such that during the rotation of the anvil rolls the die roll[2 will be permitted to shift downwardly into the bight 29, to deflectand reshape the end coil of the spring, and will be gradually liftedduring the rolling operation to cause the reduced coil B, being formedon the end of the spring, to be centered with respect to the springaxis. The cam follower 79 may be in the form of a roller which ismounted on the shaft 39, preferably by means of a self-aligning bearingH. This selfaligning bearing permits rocking of the follower relative tothe shaft 30, so that the follower may bear properly against thesurfaces of the cams during swinging of the carrier}! on thepivot shaft38. 7

During the rolling operation the end convolution of the spring S isclamped against the anvil rolls l3 by the die roll l2 and isreshaped toform the end coil R, which is of relatively smaller diameter and iscentered on the spring axis. Since the spring is clamped against anvilrolls l3, it will be rotated by the latter during this rollingoperation. The spring may be supported in various ways for the reducingoperation, but for this purpose I prefer to provide the work holder ISwith a cradle or trough-like member 12 which is so disposed that whenthe spring is received therein, one of its ends will be adjacent therolls. To facilitate the rotation of the spring during the rollingoperation I provide the cradle 12 with rollers 13, which extendlongitudinally thereof and on which the spring rests when it is laid inthe cradle. During the rolling operation, the spring S may also besubjected to more or less tilting and, to readily permit this movementof the spring, I provide the cradle 12 with a trunion mount comprisingthe member 74 and the horizontal pivots vl5. After the end convolutionat one end of the spring has been reduced by the die rolls, the springis reversed, that is, shifted end for end, so that the convolution atthe other end of the spring can be reduced in a similar manner. Tofacilitate this shifting of the spring, I provide the trunnion mount 14with a vertical pivot shaft or stem 15, which extends into a bearing iiiof the base plate 11. The horizontal pivots 15 of the trunnion mount 74and the vertical pivot 16 are located substantially in the transversemidplane of the cradle 12, so that swinging of the cradle on thevertical pivot will reverse the spring ends and swinging of the cradleon the horizontal pivots 15 will permit tilting of the spring regardlessof which end thereof is being acted upon by the die rolls.

Because of the pitch of the spring S, it is desirable to provide foradjustment of the work holder so that the cradle 12 may assume acorresponding angular or canted position relative to the axis of the dieroll l2, as shown in Fig. '7. When the spring is permitted to lie withits axis in this relatively inclined position, the end convolution willengage properly in the grooves of the die and anvil rolls. For thispurpose, I provide the base plate H with slots 18, which permit relativelateral movement between the plate and the mount l6 of the machineframe. If desired, the plate 11 may be provided with a gauge pointer 19which cooperates with indications 89 on an adjacent part of the frame ofthe machine for facilitating adjustment of the Work holder toaccommodate springs of different pitches.

For locating the spring with respect to the die rolls so that the endconvolution will be engaged at the proper point by the roll I2, Iprovide a gauge stop 82 against which the operator causes the end of theend convolution to abut, as shown in Figs. 5 and '7, when he places thespring on the work holder. The gauge stop 82 may be a suitably shapedbar or other member mounted on the bearing bracket 25 above and to theright of the die roll 12.

Fluid pressure for operating the fluid pressure responsive devices 39and 55 may be supplied from any suitable source such as a pump 83, whichmay be connected with the motor 52 to be driven thereby. This pump has asuction connection 84 extending down into a reservoir 86 which containsa supply of oil or other suitable fluid, and has a discharge connection81 leading to a pressure relief valve 88. A main fluid pressure deliveryconduit 89 connects with the conduit 81 through the pressure reliefvalve and leads to a manually operable control valve 99. Another conduit9|, leading from the relief valve 88, returns fluid to the reservoir 86when the pressure at which the relief valve is set, such as a desiredmaximum working pressure, is exceeded. I

The manually operable control valve 99 may be of any form orconstruction suitable for controllingthe operation of fluid pressureresponsive devices 39 and 55 in the desired manner, for example it maycomprise a housing and a valve element movable therein. A pedal 92 maybe connected with the movable valve element by linkage 93 to shift thesame in the housing, in this instance downward, to cause pressure fluidto be supplied to the cylinder 4| and tothe top of cylinder 55. Atension spring 94 may be arranged to retract the valve element, when thepedal is released, to cause the fluid, including that previouslysupplied to the cylinder 4| and to the top of cylinder 55, to bereturned to the reservoir 88. The valve housing has appropriate portsand openings with which the various conduitsare connected, including aninlet opening with which the pressure fluid supply conduit 89 isconnected. A conduit 95 leads from a discharge opening of the valve 98for supplying pressure fluid to the upper end of the clutch actuatingcylinder 58 and through the branch conduit 45 to the upper end of thecylinder 4|. A conduit .96 connected with another discharge opening ofthe valve leads to the lower end of the clutch actuating cylinder 56. Apressure relief valve 91 disposed in the conduit 96 limits the pressureof the fluid in thelower end of the cylinder 55 to a desiredpredetermined value. A return conduit 98, connected with the pressurerelief Valve 91, returns fluid to the reservoir 36 through the reliefmanifold 99 whenever the pressure of the fluid in the conduit or in thelower end of the cylinder 56 exceeds the value for which the reliefvalve is set. Another return conduit I90 connects a discharge or reliefopening of the valve 99 with the manifold 99 for returning fluid to thereservoir when the valve element of the valve 90 has been moved to itsretracted position by the spring 94.

The pressure relief valves 88 and 91 may be referred to respectively ashigh pressure and low pressure relief valves because the valve 88 is setto return fluid to the reservoir when a certain desired maximum workingpressure is exceeded, and the valve 91 is set at a relatively lowerdischarge pressure. The setting of the latterrelief valve is preferablysuch that sufficient back pressure will be maintained in the lower endof the clutch actuating cylinder 56, to prevent downward movement of thepiston 5'! until after the piston 42 of the main cylinder 4| has beenactuated by the pressure of the fluid. This sequence of operation isdesirable so as to cause the die roll |2 to engage the end convolutionof the spring and clamp the same against the anvil rolls before theclutch 48 is engaged to cause rotation of the anvil rolls. A check valve0| located in the conduit 96, between the valve 98 and the relief valve91, permits pressure fluid to be supplied to the lower end of cylinder56, but checks the flow of exhaust fluid therefrom so that it must passthrough the check valve 91 and the desired back-pressure can bemaintained in the lower end of this cylinder.

When a spring has been placed in the cradle 12, with its end coilresting on the anvil rolls l3, the pedal 92 is depressed to shift themovable element of the valve downward, whereby the passages leading tothe conduit 96 and the return conduit 00 are closed, and pressure fluidis then supplied to the upper ends of the cylinders 4| and 56 to causeactuation of the carrier 3-| and the clutch 48 in succession, asexplained above. Upon completion of the rolling operation, the pedal 92is released to permit the element of valve 90 to be moved to itsretracted position, whereupon the upper end of the main cylinder 4| andthe upper end of the clutch actuating cylinder 56 are connected with thereservoir 8-8, through the return conduit I00, so that the fluidpressure previously supplied to these cylinders can be released orexhausted and the carrier 3| and the piston 42 can be lifted by thespring 46 to release the work. With the movable element of the valve 90in this position, the fluid pressure being supplied through the conduit89 by the pump enters the lower end of the cylinder '56, through theconduit 96, and lifts the piston 5! and the latch 6| of the actuatingmeans for the clutch 48. The excess fluid over that required to lift thepiston 51 is discharged through the pressure relief valve 9! and returnsto the reser voir through the conduit -98. Fluid which leaks past thepiston 42 of the main cylinder 4-|- may be returned to the reservoir bymeans of a -suit able drain connection H12.

After the reducing operations have been performed on the ends of thespring S, as explained above, the spring has substantially the shapeillustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. An additional operation is then neededto flatten down the reduced end coils to substantially the positionrepresented by the broken line I03.

Although the rolling operations performed by my machine, in reducing theend coils of the spring S, are preferably carried out with the metal ofthe spring in a heated condition, it should be understood that myinvention is not limited to a machine for hot-rolling, but-includessimilar machines. adapted for cold-rolling.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, it willnow be readily understood that I have provided a novel machine forreshaping or reducing the end convolution of a helical spring, so thatthe spring end may be adapted to seat properly without need for agrinding operation thereon, as has heretofore been required. It will beunderstood further that this end-coil reducing machine embodies a novelarrangement of die rolls, as well as other mechanisms for causing thedie rolls to perform the desired operation on the end convolutions ofthe spring. Inv addition, it will be seen that I have provided novelcontrol means for obtaining the desired sequence of operation of thedifferent mechanisms of the machine, and have also provided a novel worksupport which permits rotation of the spring during the rollingoperation and also permits the spring to be readily reversed or swungend for end.

While I have illustrated and described-my endcoil reducing machine in asomewhat detailed manner, it will be understood, of course, that I donot wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangements ofparts herein disclosed, but regard my invention as including suchchanges and modifications as do not constitute a departure from thespirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In amachine of'the character described, a pair of anvil rolls, meansadjacent thereto for rotatably supporting a helical spring with an endconvolution thereof engaging said anvil rolls, a die roll shiftable toengage said end convolution between said anvil rolls and adapted tocooperate with the latter for reshaping such end convolution, means forcausing such shifting of said die roll comprising a hinged carrierhaving a shaft on which said die roll is mounted, cam means adapted tobe driven proportionately with said anvil rolls, a self-aligning bearingon said shaft and engageable with said cam means for controlling theshifting of said die roll, and means for causing rotation of the anvilrolls and spring.

2. In a machine of the character described, a pair of anvil rolls, meansadjacent said rolls for rotatably supporting a coiled spring with an endcoil thereof engaging said rolls, a die roll movable to engage said endcoil and to deflect the same into the bight between said anvil rolls,means operable to cause rotation of the anvil rolls and spring, and cammeans adapted to be driven proportionately to the rotation of said anvilrolls for varying the extent of movement of the die roll into the bightto thereby control the shape to be imparted to said end coil.

3. In a machine of the character described, a pair of rolls adapted tobe engaged by the end coil of a helical spring, a die roll adapted to beshifted to engage said end coil and deflect the same into the bightbetween said anvil rolls, a power device operable to cause such shiftingof the die roll, means for driving said anvil rolls including a clutch,and control means operable to cause actuation of said power device andsaid clutch in succession 4. In a machine of the character described, apair of spaced rotary shafts, anvil rolls carried by said shafts andhaving peripheral grooves adapted to receive the end coil of a helicalspring, a grooved die roll, a movable carrier for said die roll, powermeans for actuating said carrier to cause said die roll to deflect saidend coil into the bight between said anvil rolls, means for causingrotation of said shafts and anvil rolls, and cam means actuated by saidshafts for controlling the extent of movement of said die roll into thebight during such rotation to thereby determine the shape to be impartedto said end coil.

5. In a machine of the character described, a pair of anvil rollsadapted to be engaged by the end coil of a helical spring, a die rolladapted to be shifted to engage said end coil and deflect the same intothe bight between said anvil rolls, a power device operable to causesuch shifting of the die roll, means for driving said anvil rollsincluding a clutch, cam means adapted tocontrol the extent of movementof said die roll into the bight during operation of the rolls, andcontrol means operable to cause actuation of said power device and saidclutch in succession.

6. In a machine of the character described, a pair of anvil rollsadapted to be engaged by the end coil of a helical spring, a die rolladapted to be shifted to engage said end coil and deflect the same intothe bight between said anvil rolls, a fluid pressure responsive deviceoperable to cause such shifting of the die roll, driving means for saidrolls including a clutch, a fluid pressure responsive device foractuating said clutch, a source of fluid pressure, and means controllingsaid fluid pressure responsive devices to cause such shifting of saiddie roll and actuation ofsaid clutch.

'7. In a machine of the character described, a pair of anvil rolls, aholder for supporting a helical spring with an end coil thereof engagingsaid rolls, a die roll adapted to be shifted to deflect said end coilinto the bight between said anvil rolls, means for causing such shiftingof said die roll, and means for driving said anvil rolls, said holderbeing pivoted to permit relative shifting of the spring.

8. In a machine of the character described, a pair of anvil rolls, aholder for supporting a helical spring with an end coil thereof engaging'to engage the end coil and cooperate with said anvil rolls in reshapingsaid end coil, means for driving said anvil rolls, and means pivotingsaid holder at an intermediate point to permit both tilting of thespring and swinging of the same end for end.

10. In a machine of the character described, a

pair of relatively movable Work engaging devicesadapted to act on aconvolution of a helical spring to reshape the same comprisingrespectively a pair of rolls engageable with the outside of suchconvolution and a roll engageable with the inside of such convolution ata point between the spaced rolls, fluid pressure responsive meansoperable to cause such relative movement and to press said devicesagainst said convolution with a predetermined force, and means forcausing rotation of said rolls.

JOSEPH GOGAN.

